Bofuri (The Strongest Shield Of Tensura)-Chapter 90 - Ninety

"So? How was it, Laplace?"

A young man with dark brown hair leaned back on a small couch, his elbow propped on the armrest as he rested his chin on his fist. Dressed in a crisp white shirt and trousers, he exuded an air of quiet confidence.

Laplace, the ever-expressive clown, twirled on his heel before flopping into a chair with a dramatic sigh. "As well as you'd expect, maybe even a little too well. The amulet worked on Demon Lord Milim, and she's under his control now... somehow." His usual playful tone held an undercurrent of unease. "And that's what worries me. If I had to guess, Clayman is underestimating the level of control he actually has over her. A simple amulet shouldn't be enough to manipulate someone as powerful as Milim, but here we are."

The young man narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "Hmm." His gaze flickered to a large map pinned to the wall beside him. "And the other matter?"

Laplace shook his head with a theatrical sigh. "Nothing new on that front. Maple Tree might as well be a damn fortress. I couldn't get close no matter how I tried. It's like they have a personal vendetta against clowns or something. And the number of Dryads they have? Mind-boggling. Honestly, the only way in is through the front gate, and even that's a lost cause, two Dryads have already seen my face."

The young man hummed in thought before gesturing toward a stack of documents on the table. "Take a look at these."

Curious, Laplace snatched up the papers and skimmed through them. His lips curled into a grin, then he let out a laugh, kicking his legs in amusement. "Oh? Now this is something! They're the exact opposite of Tempest. Six nations, all vassal states to a monster-ruled country? Bold. Very bold. I might just cry." He wiped away an imaginary tear.

The young man smirked at his theatrics. "Up until now, the western nations have only been aware of Tempest, and that's because Rimuru wants to convince humanity that monsters aren't their enemies." He retrieved the papers from Laplace, tapping a finger against them. "But from what you're telling me, Maple Tree has no such delusions. Or at least, they didn't. Conquering six nations certainly doesn't paint them as allies of humanity, does it?"

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Laplace leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. His usual carefree demeanor momentarily faded into something sharper. "Now that's a shame, isn't it... Yuuki Kagarazaka?"

Yuuki's smile widened, fingers lacing together as he rested his chin on his hands. "Maple Tree and Tempest... Two monster nations with completely different approaches. One seeks alliance with humans, the other appears indifferent. Maple Tree is still a blank slate, though, no real information on them at all." His eyes darkened slightly. "The only thing I managed to glean from some small-time merchants in Raja was their ruler's name, Kaede Honjou."

The room fell silent for a moment before Yuuki chuckled. "She's definitely an Otherworlder. Just like Rimuru. But unlike him, she's human. And yet... there's almost nothing about her." His gaze drifted toward the ceiling in contemplation.

"A mystery, isn't it? I wonder how Hinata would react to this information... Should I inform her?" He chuckled again, shaking his head. "No, no, that would be far too boring."

He relaxed into the couch, exhaling in amusement. "Yeah, I have a better idea. Laplace." His golden eyes flicked toward the clown. "I have another job for you, in Ruberios."

Laplace stretched lazily, unbothered. "Fine by me. Just don't forget your promise."

Yuuki laughed, waving a dismissive hand. "Of course. I haven't forgotten. Your leader's soul is safe and sound. Soon, the great Demon Lord Kazaream will return to you."

Laplace's usual grin returned as he leaned back. "As long as you keep that promise, I've got no complaints."

---

_Falmuth_

"Youm, the champion, you say?" King Edmaris spoke, his voice carrying across the grand chamber as he sat at the head of the table, surrounded by his cabinet. The flickering candlelight cast long shadows on the richly adorned walls, the air tense with discussion.

"Yes, Your Majesty," a familiar voice replied. "According to the rumors we've gathered, he and his party were responsible for the defeat of the Orc Lord and his army. Although, calling him a 'champion' is rather ridiculous." The speaker was none other than Razen, the chief sorcerer of Falmuth, his sharp gaze fixed on the king.

"Be that as it may, the Freedom Union did confirm that the Orc Lord did indeed appear," stated Folgen, the chief warrior, his expression serious.

"Indeed." King Edmaris nodded, his fingers drumming against the polished wooden table. "Which means there must be some measure of truth to these claims."

Razen leaned forward, his tone laced with skepticism. "Further regarding this so-called 'Champion' Youm, it seems he has taken up residence in Tempest."

"Tempest?" The king narrowed his eyes. "You mean that monster nation?"

"That is correct," Razen confirmed. "Ever since its founding, the flow of merchants within our own kingdom has declined at an alarming rate. Our financial situation is growing dire."

King Edmaris' gaze darkened as Razen continued. "I believe this is due to merchants bypassing Falmuth entirely. Now that Tempest ensures safe passage to Dwargon, traders no longer need to rely on our routes."

"This is a matter of life and death for our kingdom," Razen pressed, his voice unwavering. "If Tempest is left unchecked, it is only a matter of time before they gain recognition in the western provinces as well. Once that happens, any action against them will be impossible. We must strike now."

Folgen nodded in agreement, his expression grim. "Yes..."

"If I may, Your Majesty," another council member interjected. He stood and approached the king, a sealed parchment in hand. After handing it to Edmaris, he distributed similar documents to the rest of the cabinet.

King Edmaris unfolded the parchment, his eyes scanning its contents. His expression quickly twisted in shock. "Another one!?"

The rest of the cabinet murmured in alarm as they read through their own copies.

The council member nodded gravely. "Yes, Your Majesty. This was received just yesterday from my sources. Not only has this other monster nation, Maple Tree, remained hidden for so..."

Thud.

Razen flinched, his eyes flickering with magic as he scanned the room. His senses sharpened, his breath steady. For a brief moment, it felt as if something, someone, had been watching them.

The council member hesitated. "...Is something the matter, Chief Sorcerer Razen?"

Razen remained silent, his gaze sweeping across the chamber before he finally exhaled and shook his head. "No... I must have imagined it."

The council member gave him a wary glance before continuing. "As I was saying, Maple Tree has not only remained hidden for so long, but they have already managed to vassalize six small kingdoms. To accomplish such a feat without drawing attention... I shudder to imagine their military strength."

King Edmaris' hands tightened into fists. "Monsters conquering nations? That is nothing less than a declaration of war against humanity! This proves they seek nothing but our destruction!"

The council member, however, shook his head. "Unfortunately, it is not so simple. As detailed in the lower section of my report, the nation of Dwargon has officially recognized Maple Tree as a legitimate state. Furthermore, the six kingdoms in question did not fall in battle, they willingly surrendered their independence in exchange for assistance from Maple Tree."

Silence fell over the room, broken only by the shuffling of parchment. Then, suddenly...

Trembling.

All eyes turned to Razen as his hands shook violently, his face pale as he fixated on a particular section of the report. His lips parted, and his voice came out in a whisper.

"T-The Witch... She lives?"

The council member's expression darkened. "Yes... Imagine my shock as well when I discovered this. The ruler of Maple Tree and Chancellor of the Eastern Jura Forest. Kaede Honjou."

"But how!?" Razen erupted, his voice filled with disbelief and fury. "She was struck down by the holy spell [Disintegration]! You don't survive that... No one survives that!"

A heavy silence fell over the chamber. The weight of Razen's words settled like a storm cloud over the gathered ministers, their expressions shifting between disbelief and unease.

Folgen was the first to speak, his voice cautious. "Chief Sorcerer Razen... are you certain? If she truly perished by [Disintegration], then..."

"I was certain." Razen's hands curled into fists, his nails biting into his palms. "I saw it with my own eyes. She was erased, not even a speck of dust should have remained." He looked up, his eyes burning with something between fury and apprehension.

"And yet, if the reports are to be believed, she lives," King Edmaris muttered, his expression grim. He leaned back in his chair, fingers drumming against the polished wood of the table. "From their actions, Maple Tree does not seem to seek attention from other nations, despite having subjugated six kingdoms. However, if we move against Tempest, we risk drawing Maple Tree's retaliation. That is a dangerous gamble."

His gaze shifted to Folgen, the chief warrior. "How many men can we mobilize?"

Folgen responded without hesitation. "Seventeen thousand, at most."

King Edmaris frowned. "That's not nearly enough." He turned toward one of his cabinet members. "What of the other kingdoms? How have they responded to this development?"

The cabinet member shook his head. "Uncertainty plagues their courts, Your Majesty. They are reluctant to acknowledge a monster-ruled nation as legitimate, yet refusing to do so risks straining relations with Dwargon. The Dwarven Kingdom has already extended its recognition to Maple Tree. Should we oppose them, we risk making an enemy of Dwargon as well."

Silence fell over the chamber, tension thick in the air. Then, from the far end of the table, a deep chuckle broke the stillness. A bald-headed man, dressed in flowing priestly robes, smiled as he folded his hands together. "There is no need to trouble yourselves, Your Majesty. I believe I can provide an answer to this predicament."

King Edmaris turned to him. "Archbishop Rahim, are you suggesting that the Western Holy Church has a plan?"

"Indeed," Rahim confirmed, his smile never wavering. "I am pleased to inform you that the Holy Church has formally deemed the monster nations of Jura an affront to divine will. They stand in direct opposition to God's order. As such, the Church has taken steps to rectify this heresy. Please forgive the delay, but rest assured, a saint has already been dispatched."

Murmurs of surprise rippled through the room. King Edmaris exhaled sharply, eyes narrowing. "So the Holy Church has officially recognized these monster nations as threats to humanity?"

"Not entirely," Rahim admitted. "For now, their status as a legitimate nation provides them with a fragile shield. They have yet to make a direct move against humanity. However..." His expression darkened. "The moment they reveal their true nature, should they threaten the peace of mankind, the Church will bring its full judgment upon them."

King Edmaris tapped a finger against the table, considering his words. "With the Church's involvement, the other kingdoms will have little choice but to align with us. If not out of genuine conviction, then at least to maintain favor with the clergy."

A satisfied smile played on Rahim's lips. "Precisely."

At that moment, Razen, who had remained silent since his earlier outburst, turned his piercing gaze toward the Archbishop. "Archbishop Rahim." His voice was steady, but there was a weight behind it. "If this truly is Kaede Honjou... then she has had time to grow. I fear a single saint may not be enough."

Rahim blinked, startled by the implication. "Are you suggesting that she is stronger than a holy saint?"

Razen's expression remained grave. "I am saying that it took the combined might of Falmuth's elite sorcerers and the Holy Church's spellcasters to cast a [Disintegration] powerful enough to annihilate her completely. A spell so vast and destructive that escape should have been impossible." His fingers curled into fists. "And yet, she survived."

Rahim's face paled slightly. For a moment, he was at a loss for words. Then, regaining his composure, he nodded. "I... I understand. I will speak with the Church and see what more can be done."

Razen exhaled slowly, his unease lingering. If Kaede Honjou had endured an execution that should have erased her from existence, then she was no longer the same opponent he had faced in the past.

She was something else entirely.

And that terrified him.

---

Slide.

Click.

Slide.

Click.

"Hey, Kanade... You okay, man?"

Shogo's voice cut through the quiet room. He glanced at the red-haired young man sitting by the window, absentmindedly twisting a puzzle cube in his hands.

Slide.

Click.

Kanade turned the cube again, his eyes distant. "Maple Tree," he murmured.

Shogo frowned. "Huh?"

Kanade barely registered his presence. As usual, he was listening in on the cabinet meeting being held with magic.

He was aware of everything that happened within the kingdom of Falmuth, literally everything. Over the past year, he had embedded himself here, using it as a base to observe and learn about the world he had been summoned to. If he so desired, he could dismantle the kingdom overnight. But he had waited. He had planned.

And now, something had changed.

Slide.

Click.

"Kaede..." he muttered under his breath.

He had read about the otherworlders summoned before him, Kaede and Kirara. Traitors, executed after turning against the kingdom. At first, he hadn't thought much of it. Kaede was a common enough name, after all.

But then, he heard something that made his blood run cold.

Maple Tree.

That wasn't just any name. That was his guild. And there was only one person ridiculous enough to name an organization after it.

His fingers froze mid-movement. His breath hitched.

"Maple's here?" he whispered, his eyes widening. "She's actually here."

Shogo raised an eyebrow. "What are you mumbling about?"

Kanade turned to him, his mind racing. "I was just thinking about the otherworlders that were summoned before us. What can you tell me about Kaede?"

Shogo thought for a moment before shrugging. "Not much, really. She was strong. Really strong. And weirdly obsessed with using a shield more than anything else."

Kanade's grip tightened on the cube. 'It really is her.'

"Then she turned traitor," Shogo continued casually. "Razen and the Church guys took her down. I wish I could've done it myself, though. Finally end our rivalry." He smirked.

The air turned ice-cold.

Darkness rippled around Shogo, a suffocating presence that pressed in on all sides. For a split second, the room felt like it had been swallowed by an abyss.

Then, just as suddenly, it was gone.

Shogo blinked, his smirk faltering. "What the hell was that...?"

He turned to Kanade, but the red-haired youth was still smiling. Brightly. Almost too brightly.

"Did you feel that?" Kanade asked, his voice light, almost amused.

Shogo narrowed his eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Kanade's smile didn't waver.

Shogo exhaled, shaking his head. "Whatever. I'm headed to the training court to bash some heads in. You coming?"

"Not today." Kanade's fingers curled into a fist. "I've got something on my mind."

Shogo scoffed. "Suit yourself." He left, the door clicking shut behind him.

Kanade let out a slow breath, then slowly opened his hand, relaxing his fingers. 'That was close.'

He glanced out the window, his mind clearer than ever.

"I've stayed here long enough," he murmured to himself. His eyes darkened, his grip tightening around the puzzle cube. "I think it's time I erase Falmuth."

Then, he hesitated.

'No.'

His lips curled into a smirk.

"I have to meet Maple first. A decision like this needs her approval."

The thought sent a thrill through him. If he was here... and she was here...

He chuckled under his breath.

"I wonder... Can I summon the others as well?"